FDI: Govt braces for clash in Parliament

The government and the Opposition are headed for a showdown on the issue of foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

While the BJP and the Left appear to have ganged up to put the government on the mat, the Congress is involved in hectic back-channel parleys to push through its reform agenda in Parliament.

The CPM on Wednesday submitted notices in both Houses of Parliament seeking a debate on the issue under rules which entail voting. The decision to send these notices was taken during a meeting of all the Left Front constituents on Monday.

"We are against the introduction of FDI in multi-brand retail. It's our top priority to oppose it in Parliament," said Basudeb Acharia. He also claimed the Left will reach out to parties such as the SP, the BSP and the DMK.

Though the government need not resign if the motion is adopted, its moral standing would be severely eroded and the beleaguered Congress will suffer a loss of face. It is, however, the prerogative of the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairperson to accept or reject the notices.

The BJP-led NDA is likely to hold a meeting on November 21, a day before the winter session begins, to decide its floor strategy.

Asked if the BJP, whose MPs have also filed notices, and the NDA would rally behind Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in case it seeks division of votes to embarrass the government, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said it will decide its future course of action in the NDA meeting.

The UPA also got a jolt with DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, when asked about his party's decision on supporting the government in Parliament over the FDI issue, said: "Let the DMK's stand remain a suspense... Only films with suspense will do well."

Despite being a UPA constituent, the DMK had joined the Opposition-sponsored strike over the FDI issue in September and had made it clear to the Centre that the party's support should not be taken for granted.

The Congress, though, is engaged in frantic back-channel negotiations to mollify the sulking Dravidian chieftain. On Saturday, finance minister P. Chidambaram flew to Chennai and held talks with Karunanidhi while DMK leader T. R. Baalu is likely to meet the PM soon to discuss how to avoid voting against the government without undermining its own stand.

DMK members say the party is considering a possible "walk-out" if a vote on FDI does take place - this will allow DMK MPs to avoid taking any stand at all by boycotting the vote.

(Inputs from M. C. Rajan in Chennai)

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